A Fool's Dream
by goldfishlover73
Summary: AU, after first anime, but no movie! Alphonse knows this isn't real. These...feelings...Once he brings Edward back, life will return to normal.


I don't own FullMetal.

III

"Winry…" he inhaled the scent of her hair as his hands roamed over her warm, sweat covered body. He pressed close to her, mouth trailing kisses down her neck before he nuzzled into the nape of her neck, hearing her moan his name, making him tense slightly.

_This was not how it was suppose to happen._

He wasn't supposed to be here, with her, in the upstairs guest room of the only automail shop in Risembool. This isn't how it was suppose to play out.

_He wasn't the one she wanted._

He felt her fingers scrap down his shirtless back as she nudge his face to hers, kissing him passionately as she tried to pull them even closer. He pulled back, looking into her eyes briefly before raking his eyes over her very _naked_ form. His hands came up to her neck, pulling her into another needy kiss.

_With every kiss, his stomach churned. With every moan from her seductive lips, he felt his heart contract. He shouldn't be here, with her._

Alphonse felt her hands make their familiar trip to the rim of his boxers, sifting the elastic waistband through her fingers, _teasing him_.

Not like this wasn't a big fucking tease. Despite himself, he moaned. He slid his hands back down her body, finding her waist, pulling it up to his, making his eyes roll to the back of his head at the pressure.

Her fingers splayed flat against his side, before they left his body completely, only to hold his neck as she pulled him back, giving him a small smile before kissing him **chastely**, making him melt, as he stripped her and himself of the rest of their clothing.

_It was the same dance, the same steps. Even though he knew the steps, he didn't trust them. He knew he would be tripped up one day, and he would have to pick himself up, alone._

"Please, Alphonse." She whimpered, and as he felt his heart shatter as he obliged.

III

It had been four years since Edward had disappeared, leaving a memory-less brother and a heartbroken Winry behind. Alphonse worked desperately to find his brother, and Winry watched from the sidelines; _like always_. When it seemed that everyone had given up on finding the lost Elric brother, Alphonse still held on to hope, _knowing_ he would find him. _He_ would bring him home. Home to Risembool, to his brother, and to Winry.

In the first three years, when Alphonse would come home, all the younger Elric and automail mechanic would talk about was the person they both missed more than anything else. Perhaps, Al wondered, that is how it started. They both missed Edward, and it was only logical that they confine in each other, to share the pain of missing their loved one. It had started out as Alphonse holding Winry on the cool nights, in his room when she couldn't sleep, talking about the adventures he and his brother went on the years before. The kiss, Alphonse assumed, was because Winry saw someone _else_ when she looked in his golden eyes. He kissed her back, because, well, it was _Winry_. When they pulled away, she blushed, lying back onto his chest as they lay in the guestroom of Rockbell Automail.

He wasn't surprise when the kisses began to deepen, to become something more, and when she first breathed out a name, it wasn't his own.

He knew he was only a substitute for his brother. The guilt that of what he was doing with his brother's girl ate at him, but he couldn't help it. Alphonse blamed it on the hormones, on the silly childhood crush, on the loneliness he felt without his brother, knowing that it couldn't last.

He started staying at home longer; on the road, _searching_, less. He tried to prolong his time with Winry, knowing once he found his brother, the world would realign, and things would go back to how they were supposed to be; Brother with Winry, and Al, happy to have his brother, his family whole.

But when Alphonse heard his _own_ name roll off Winry's swollen lips, before burying her face in his neck, before removing his shirt for the first time, Alphonse almost choked.

_I must have imagined it._

But as the months passed, and they _both_ became braver with their actions, his name escaped her lips, and he knew it was wrong, that he was only sitting in for his brother, but as he drowned in her kisses, he didn't want to believe it, that he _was_ the man she wanted. That when she mumbled '_Alphonse,_' she wasn't just being courteous, but she really meant his name.

It was six months ago when she didn't stop him. When his fingers trailed farther south than they had before, he watched wide eyed for a 'no,' or a shake of the head. But as she nodded, whimpering his name as she pulled his hand to its destination, his breathing became heavier as she withered underneath him. His heart stopping as she pulled his hand away, and pulling his face close to hers, she kissed him softly, and searched his eyes. "I love you, Alphonse." She whispered before wrapping her body around his hips, and let him enter her, making her moan _his_ name, _Alphonse's_ name.

Not the name she should be.

Not brothers name.

As his heart soared at her proclamation, murmuring the words back into her ear as he moved inside her, he felt tears roll down his face. Tears of betrayal for his brother.

III

Five years.

It had been five years since his brother had disappeared. Five years since Alphonse started his journey to find him.

Three years since Winry stopped saying his brother's name, murmuring the other Elric brother's name instead.

Twenty minutes since Alphonse watched Edward walk out of the abyss.

"Hey little brother. Miss me?" he laughed.

Alphonse stared, eyes raking over his brother's form. He'd grown taller, now taller than Alphonse. His face had become more square, more defined, but, his eyes were still the same.

"Brother!" Alphonse laughed, bounding towards Ed, pulling his solid body into a bone crushing hug. "You're here! You're home!" he felt warm, solid, _real_.

Edward laughed, "You're crushing me! Calm down! I'm not going anywhere!" he was able to pry Alphonse off him with a bit of struggling. "Come on, let's go home." He wrapped his arm around Alphonse's shoulder leading him east; leading him home.

III

He should be happy, the weight lifted off his shoulders as he walked with his brother up the familiar road to the house on the hill. His smile should be real; he should be paying close attention for his brother telling the tales of the other world where he made "rockets" that went up into space. About the other Hughes and Graica on the other side, and how even their first born was born on his birthday. His laugh shouldn't be hallow about something Ed saw, or did, but Al couldn't stop thinking about what would happen once they reached the top of the hill.

He heard Den howl and his heart dropped. As they approached the house, he spied the familiar silhouette at the front steps. He peered to his brother, whose eyes lit up, the grip on his shoulder tightened, and a grinned split over his face.

As they walked closer, he could make out her figure, waving from beyond the gate. The closer they got, he saw her hand drop and she took a few steps towards them. Al felt a lump form in his throat as his brother laughed, waving his other arm, "Hey! Hey!" he drug Alphonse behind him as ran up the hill, releasing Al as he jumped over the gate, almost tackling Winry as he spun her around, laughing. He released her, grabbing her face between his mismatched hands, before pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Alphonse watched as he felt his body numb. He knew this was going to happen. He knew that once he brought his brother home, the world would balance out. It would spin normally and life would go back to what it was suppose to do. But as Winry cried into Ed's chest, clutching the back of his head and his shoulder, he walked through the gate, and up the stairs, and passed Pinako, into the house, trying to swallow the lump in his throat as he struggled to breathe.

III

The first three days Ed had returned were relatively quiet. Ed and Winry were holed away in the workshop, working on repairing his automail while he told her _everything_. From the moment he last saw her to the moment he jumped the fence. Pinako told Alphonse over their lonely dinners, that it was taking so long on the alterations because Winry would sit and listen at times instead of working. Alphonse tried to ignore the looks his surrogate grandmother gave him as he ate his meals. _It's not like she really knew what was going on anyways…_

On the third day Ed and Winry emerged out of the workshop, Alphonse was on his way out the front door, Den close at his heels. His eyes caught Winry's briefly before he closed the door behind him, ignoring the calls that followed in his wake.

He didn't realize where his feet were taking him until he looked up to see his mother's name on the grey stone slab in front of him. He stared through it, mind reeling through the last few weeks. _He had left early in the morning; the sun had only just risen as he stepped down the creaky wooden steps. "When I get home, I'll fix these stupid steps." He turned to Winry, smiling softly. _

_She shook her head, "It's not that big of a deal…"_

"_I'm so sure this is it…This will bring Brother back." He cupped her cheek, leaning down to kiss her softly. She returned the kiss, hands resting on his shoulder._

"_Be safe, Alphonse." She embraced him as the kiss broke._

"_I'll call you when I make it to Central."_

He shuffled a small rock around his shoe before he sat on the ground, hand coming up to scratch the dog's ear. "We did it mother. We're all back together…as a family…" he leaned against Den, receiving a wet nose and a tentative lick on the ear. He smiled, "This is how it's supposed to be."

"Al! Hey Al!" he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming running towards him, but he didn't bother to look back. When the footsteps stopped, he heard a small chuckle. "I thought I might find you here when you weren't at the river. What's up? I'm back for three days and you're already out, leaving me?" he watched Ed plop down next to him.

Alphonse smiled, "You were cooped up with Winry for three days, did she have you unconscious most of the time? I can imagine she hit you pretty hard with her wrench."

Ed laughed, "Only once, when I first got in there, and that was to 'make sure I was really there,' or so she said!" he rubbed his head.

They sat in comfortable silence, basking the each other's presence. Al was able to forget about his own worries. About what will become of him and Winry, become of Ed and Winry, and just sit with his brother, because deep down, Al knew, that as long as he had his brother by his side, it was all he really needed.

III

The next three weeks went by in a blur. Alphonse felt lost, now not having a mission to complete, not having to find his brother. He helped around the shop, as much as he could, ran errands for Pinako, and even fixed the steps. Edward spent most of his time either on the phone, talking to old acquaintance, mainly Mustang, who called every day at ten and didn't get off the phone until one or two. Ed said he was going to Central in a few days, and Alphonse was going with him. They stayed for two weeks, catching up with everyone and hearing the latest news. (It's wasn't news to Alphonse, but Edward flipped at meeting 'President Mustang' and his wife Riza Mustang). The one thing no one mentioned, to Al's relief, was Winry. Alphonse had always tried to bring Winry up the central at least twice a year, and the last visit wasn't…the most pleasing (especially when Graica welcomed them into her home to stay and caught them in the most…interesting predicament…on her couch…and when Roy came over to give him 'a heart to heart.' He almost died.)

But, Riza did pull him aside.

"Alphonse, does Ed know about you and-"

"No, at least..I haven't told him." Riza nodded her head, and looked over to see Ed, Roy and Havoc laughing over something.

"You're going to have to tell him. You know how he feels."

"And I know how _she_ feels. I think it's better if we don't tell Ed. The less he knows, the better it'll be. Besides, I don't want to make things more complicated for them, throwing me in there. It's best if I drop these silly feelings that weren't even really for me."

"Is that what you think Al?" The gaze the former Lieutenant held him under made him squirm. "If that is really what you think, than _you_ don't know how _she_ really feels. You need to talk this out. _All_ of you."

Al knew she was right, but when they got home, and Winry hugged Ed first (and too long for Al's liking) he knew how it was all going to end up.

III

The last thing Al expected was a knock on his door, this late at night.

"Are you awake?" he saw bright blue eyes peer behind the door.

"Win-Winry?" he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you I'll just-"

"No! No, it's okay." He groaned, rubbing his face, smiling. He let his hand fall into his lap and he looked blearily up at her. "See? I'm up!" he watched her eyes wander over him, her hands gripping the door, and a small smile play across her lips. He patted the bed, smile faltering slightly as he watched her check behind her before slipping into the room, closing the door with a small click. She made her way to the bed, floorboards silent under her feet. He watched her make her way across the room and his heart dropped. He hadn't seen her walk that way since the first time she made her way through his room. Shoulders stiff, hands wringing in and out as she made small steps towards his bed. Very unlike the last time she made her way into his room, taking three long strides to his bed.

She sat on the very edge of the bed, put her hands in her lap and frowned slightly, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I'm sorry, we haven't…we haven't talked since Edward has come back…It's-this is just a lot. I mean…I knew that you were going to bring him home…it's just…I don't know…" she looked at her hands.

"It's okay. I understand." He smiled sadly, leaning his head against the wall with a small thud. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _This is goodbye I suppose…_His eyes snapped open when he felt the warmth of her hand on his thigh, through the sheets.

He stared at her as she gave a small squeeze, before moving closer. His breath hitched as he felt her breath against his mouth. His heart skipped a beat as he felt familiar lips over his. His shaking hands made their way under her shirt to her soft hips, and moved up to the curve of her breast. He felt her shudder and her teeth bite his lower lip gently as pulled her on him, kissing her deeper, one hand retracted to sift through her hair, gripping firmly as he felt her fingers unbutton his shirt.

_She's Edwards, she's brothers, she's Edwards! _His mind screamed, but he couldn't resist her. She was _his_ damnit! He had been here for her! He had done what Edward never did. He was here when she needed him, called when Ed never would. "Winry…" he whispered against her mouth, hands reaching up, fingers through her hair.

"Alphonse."

_I don't care, she's __**mine**_.

III

Winry slid out of bed. It was something she had perfected over the last few years, waking up to start work, or make breakfast, or go the bathroom. She silently picked up her clothes and got dressed. She walked quietly to the edge of the bed, where Alphonse lied, snoring softly. She smiled sadly, stroking his hair softly. He sighed, mumbling her name. She felt her tears welling up in her eyes. "Alphonse, I'm sorry." She leaned over, kissing his forehead lightly, before walking to the door, closing it softly behind her.

III

His teeth clenched and his jaw hurt, as he smiled. He kept his breathing even as he stood to the left of his brother. He willed his breath steady as his heart beat frantically in his chest. He felt his stomach drop when the crowd in front of him become deathly still and the music begin to play. He took a deep breath and looked at Edward. He was staring straight ahead, eyes watering and mouth slightly agape. His hands were shaking slightly.

Alphonse followed his gaze and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

Walking towards them was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Dressed in an haltar topped white dress that hugged her frame until her hips, flowing out, covering her feet. She wore flowers in her hair that matched bouquet in her hand. He eyed his brother who couldn't stop smiling.

The closer she got, the harder it was for him to breath. He felt his heart contract as their eyes met. He stood up straighter as she walked past, taking her place next to her brother, in front of all their friends and family.

He stood there, smiling, looking out at the crowd, and desperately trying to ignore Edward and Winry. As everyone stood, applauding, Alphonse began doing the same, straining a smile as Winry and his brother walked past him. After they passed, he sighed heavily, staring at his shoes.

_This is how it's __**supposed**__ to be. _He looked back up, watching the people cheer. He clenched his fist as he saw Winry turn, and their eyes made contact again. He gave her a soft smile, and a nod. _I was a fool._

III

Ah! So who saw this one happening! I wasn't sure how to end this; happy ending? Sad ending?

I've been in a bad mood, so Alphonse has to suffer. Plus, I think it makes the story a lot better.

Hope you like it!


End file.
